Technicolor
by The.Velvet.Dusk
Summary: A flashback to the aftermath of Season 2's finale, snapshots of Spencer and Toby the summer after Mona's reveal. 3 parter.
1. Daylight

**A/N: Post-Mona Reveal, set shortly after the Season 2 finale. Toby is A, but thinks it's over. [In my world, he has no knowledge, at least at this point, of head A]. Spencer, according the series, knows that the team is bigger than Mona since the A Lair has been cleaned out after the masquerade. I'm thinking this will be a 3 chapter arc!**

The days stretch on this time of year, lightened by the mid-May sunlight that seems to last and last. Winter had ended, both literally and figuratively. Her laughter was whole again, screeching out between refreshing blasts from the sprinklers as they darted in and out of the spray. School was out and he had some time off before his next project began. This was the blissful early summer release, doubly anticipated with the new knowledge that _she_ was locked away.

A stab of guilt still struck at his conscience when he slowed down enough to think about it; he had forced her to promise no more secrets, yet his biggest one was still under wraps. How did the old adage go? What you don't know can't hurt you. Well with Mona out of his hair, he was content to uphold this version of the truth…he loved her and that was all that mattered.

Spent from their impromptu sprint through her yard's watering system, Spencer and Toby sought refuge under the covering of the wraparound veranda. Stretching out on the creaky wooden floorboards, they intertwined hands while lounging side by side, backs to the ground and eyes to the sky.

Completely satisfied to catch her breath and just bask in the presence of the boy she had missed so much in the weeks gone by, Spencer Hastings tasted sweet liberty in this moment. Maybe it wasn't all over, maybe some pieces of the puzzle still didn't fit into the overall picture, maybe…but for now, this was all she needed. Toby was back and her world was in Technicolor yet again.

Propping his head beneath his unoccupied hand, his hungry eyes swept over the sight of his girl, the one he loved with all that he had. Her chestnut curls spilling over freckled shoulders, long legs exposed to the slanting rays of the sun. Her slightly damp clothes, victims in their recent dash through the sprinklers, clung to her curves in a resounding invitation for his attention. She peeked up at him, her dark eyes questioning his gaze under full lashes. Unable to resist the temptation before him, Toby rolled over, applying delicious pressure to her body as he pressed his muscular frame against her much slimmer figure.

Her sharp inhale, coupled with the image of her eyelids sliding shut in expectation, only served to intensify his desires—ravenously stealing a kiss from her soft lips, he purposed to himself that he would never forget this feeling. Little did he know, the brunette beauty beneath him was making a similar oath to herself. Her hand skated up and down his wet t-shirt, finally settling for the strip of toned skin between the grey cotton hem and the waistband of his jeans. As her fingertips traced the ink that resided there, she hummed into his kiss, her mind imprinted with the assurance that they were _free at last._

She intended to keep it that way.


	2. Midnight

Night, however, posed more threats than the day. She hadn't breathed a word of this to anyone, not Aria or Hanna, certainly not to the spiraling Emily, and not even to Toby.

Radley might keep Mona off the streets of Rosewood, but it couldn't keep her out of Spencer's dreams. A week had passed since the masquerade ball, yet it seemed as if each time Spencer closed her eyes, she was swerving down that dim road all over again, clutching the leather seat beneath her, shaking with the knowledge that she was alone with her worst enemy. A.

Her nights were sleepless to say the least. She carefully applied concealer underneath her darkly rimmed eyes, hiding her weaknesses from the world. Waking in a sweat, tears wetting her pillowcase, tossing and turning for hours, her mind racing on and on…reliving the same nightmare on repeat; Spencer hated weakness, and this needed to stop.

So she just stopped sleeping altogether. Pumping her veins with caffeine each evening, she tackled early reading assignments for her summer college prep courses and reorganizing her already perfect room. In the final hours before dawn, she would finally fall into a fitful slumber after wearing herself out. After a few nights of this, Spencer's nerves were raw and her mind was exhausted.

Toby's workload had picked up, but he was determined to make Friday special for Spencer. Knowing that the two of them needed some serious quality time after the seeming eternity they had spent apart, he had planned an elegant dinner and a drive up to their favorite overlook. One look at his beloved girlfriend, though, and he was convinced that plans were meant to be changed.

Try as she might, Spencer's fatigue was no longer a secret. She seemed unfocused, her eyelids drooping, her speech much slower than normal. Without revealing his concern, Toby switched gears to settle back in the loft with takeout and an old movie. Fifteen minutes into the Cary Grant flick and the love of his life was fast asleep.

Bundling her weightless frame against his chest, Toby lifted her into his arms and softly deposited her into his awaiting bed. Careful to remove her shoes and layer her in warm blankets, he yanked his own shirt off over his head and slipped in next to her, relishing in the comfort of her familiar scent. The mixing of pomegranate and vanilla was the last thing he remembered as he drifted off…

Only to be jarred awake by the sound of her shrill screams. Completely alert at the thought of her in danger, Toby fumbled to switch on his lamp, needing the light to detect the threat.

"No! No, stop! Don't, please, please, no..." her pleas echoing around the room, only interrupted by her gasps for breath, sent him into a desperate panic. As his sleepy fogginess began to clear, Toby realized that Spencer was still completely asleep, trapped in what appeared to be a terrifying nightmare. Kneeling at her side, he gripped her reaching arms and called out to her through the haze.

"Spence, honey, wake up! It's a dream, Spencer, wake up." Shaking her slight frame, he felt the tension in his chest ease as her dark doe eyes blinked up at him in confusion.

"No, she's going to kill me!" she rasped out, her lips trembling and her eyes wide.

"Spencer, you're safe. No one can hurt you now, you're here with me. Remember? You're safe now, honey," he assured her softly, not wanting to spook her further.

Her mocha eyes darted around the room, taking it in as if determining the truth for herself. After a few more ragged breaths, she let out a heart wrenching sob and fell forward into his strong arms.

"There you are, Spence. It's going to be okay, sweetheart, I promise you. I'm right here." He whispered his loving support into her mass of tangled locks, hoping to calm her as he rocked their bodies back and forth.

In a strangled voice, she whimpered, "They're just so real." Visions of the car careening down the road, Mona's eyes gleaming with vengeance, all continued to loop through Spencer's head. She pressed closer into Toby's broad shoulder, needing the touch of his skin to ground her in reality.

"I know, honey, I'm so sorry. C'mere," and with that, he swooped an arm underneath of her and cradled her against him, carrying her to the chair positioned in the corner of his bedroom. Settling the both of them down, her head against his neck and her body settled into his lap, he continued to press kisses to her temple, her eyebrow, behind her ear. "I love you so much, sweetheart. You're safe here."

Her tears slowed and the necessary amount of oxygen returned to her lungs. Still shuddering against the chill of her nightmare, Spencer knew she was shaking like a leaf. Feeling ashamed of her childlike actions, she muttered an apology against his collarbone.

"Spencer, it's okay honey, you have nothing to be sorry about." Her words felt like a stinging slap to his conscience. _She _was apologizing to _him_? Little did she know that he owed her a much bigger apology than she could ever imagine, the insurmountable amount of guilt of working with Mona always weighing him down. Toby mentally shook off the dark thoughts threatening the love he held so dear, choosing instead to remain in the present, focusing on the gorgeous girl snuggled against him.

Hooking her chin with his index finger, he gently lifted her face upwards, his sapphire eyes seeking hers. "I need to know, Spence," Toby spoke soft and low, soothing her as he ran his fingers through her long chestnut hair. "This isn't the first nightmare, is it? Since that night with Mona?"

Spencer sniffled, knowing she was caught. "No, I…I keep dreaming about it, almost every night. How did you know?"

"Well you've been hitting the coffee pretty hard lately, even for you. You've been jumpy too. And for someone who has been released from the pressure of final exams and term papers, you don't seem to be getting any more rest than before school let out. I mean, you fell asleep before nine tonight, honey." He tightened his hold on her, trying to still the last of her tremors.

A sad smile crossed her features, finding some comfort in the simple fact that her guardian angel knew her so well. "I didn't want to admit it…I just feel stupid, not being able to get over something that's over, you know? I thought they would be done by now," she sighed in frustration, the strain of so many sleepless nights taking an obvious toll.

He leaned down, his lips brushing hers lightly. Pulling back ever so faintly, Toby whispered, "It's not stupid. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You never have to put on a show for me, Spencer. I want the real deal, not the Hastings family performance. I will be here for you, no matter what."

"My safe place to land," she whispered back, a genuine look of serenity appearing on her face. "I love knowing that." This time she was the one to bridge the gap between them, initiating a long kiss that made Toby groan. Shifting into a new position, now straddling his lap and fully facing the one she loved, Spencer framed his face with her hands and met his lips yet again. She never thought she'd need a knight in shining armor, but Toby Cavanaugh was always galloping in on his white horse and slaying dragons.

Pleased at the change in her mood, Toby allowed his hands to skim the top of her thighs, then moved to rest on the smooth skin above her knees. He applied tender pressure to her bottom lip, causing her to gasp into his mouth. Spencer's mind was now far from the gray shadows of her nightmare, instead completely absorbed in the dizzying feeling of his kiss.

He intended to keep it that way.


	3. Dawn

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delay! I am wrapping up my final semester of college and life exploded all over the place. I've had most of this written for a little while but I still had some final touches that I just now finished! I hope you enjoy it, this is the last chapter :) Let me know what you think! I'm playing around with the idea of a post-season 3 fic, so be on the lookout for that!**

The night is always darkest just before the dawn. Even the blackest nights and the grayest dreams must end with sunrise, the break of day. The first few weeks of summer had been hard for all of the girls, especially for Hanna struggling to accept Mona's betrayal and poor Emily suffering the harsh loss of Maya. Keeping busy and staying strong had become Spencer's mantra through it all, even when she had to fake it for the sake of her friends.

Luckily she was faking for one less person these days. Toby knew she wasn't as okay as she always claimed…and strangely enough, she was alright with that. Being the perfect gentleman that he was, he offered to platonically stay the night with her as often as needed until the dreams subsided. Spencer fought the idea at first, claiming that it was too disruptive to his work schedule and that her parents would be furious if they found out.

Toby's first instinct had been to retort "as if your parents ever stick around long enough to have a say," but he bit that back and went with a softer plea. "Spencer, I will sleep better knowing that you are sleeping better. And you and I both know that getting around your parents isn't as hard as they think it is." He won out in the end, which means they both won. Burrowed against his warmth each night, wrapped tightly in the security of his arms, Spencer had never known a better place of refuge.

Until this particular morning when her refuge was headed out of town. She had been dreading it all week long, and now it was here. June had arrived with a glorious golden sunrise, yet the bright display did nothing to cheer Spencer. As per their agreement, Toby had vacated the Hastings household before either of her parents noticed and returned to his loft to shower and pack up his truck. A new job had opened up with a crew in Bucks County, taking him away from Rosewood for at least ten days. She knew it was just a blip of time. He'd be back in a blink. At least that's what she kept telling herself…

Pasting on a happy face, Spencer rounded the corner and forced her reluctant legs toward The Brew. He had promised coffee and a ride to Hollis as their farewell. As if that were romantic or something. She knew she was being dramatic and clingy, which she swore to herself was completely out of character. This was not like her, not the Hastings way. She was fiercely independent, right?

Wrong. Not anymore. Not since Toby Cavanaugh had hijacked her bed, her dreams, her world. Those captivating blue eyes were the last thing she saw before drifting asleep and the first thing she took in each morning. If perfect love drives out fear, then her fears were completely out of sight. Waking with her head pillowed against his chest, limbs tangled together, their breathing synched; it was heaven. The sound of his voice, deepened with sleep, murmuring his love to her as they hid away in the stillness of her sheets. She felt a dangerous rush, a bond unlike any she had known before, forming in the pit of her stomach as he kissed her good morning and lazily stretched his muscular body alongside her own frame. Her days in college prep classes seemed to drag into eternity as she longed to be back in his embrace. An intense physical draw had always existed between the two, but it seemed to have tripled in its unmistakable force, overtaking Spencer's characteristically rational thinking. She knew she was spoiled. She just wanted him to stay.

"Hi, gorgeous," a voice sounded from behind, shaking Spencer from her wistful musings. A chill that had no relation to the balmy weather spread up her spine, her skin breaking into goose bumps. _What was he doing to her?_

Spinning around to face her handsome boyfriend, Spencer was surprised to see Toby already carrying matching paper cups of steaming caffeine.

"You didn't have to get mine." It was hardly the greeting that expressed the turbulence in her heart, but she just couldn't quite acknowledge his imminent departure yet.

"Yes, I did." Toby forced the cup into her hand and persuasively silenced any further protests with his lips. Wanting her closer, he curved his index finger through one of her belt loops and tugged. Spencer earnestly complied, pressing against him and cupping his cheek with her free hand. After several prolonged kisses, they split, both breathless and buzzing with an inexpressible intoxication.

"Well hi to you, too," she purred into his ear.

A massive grin stretched across Toby's face, causing endearing laugh lines to crinkle around his eyes. "Let's get you to school, Spence." He laced his fingers through hers and took a step toward his truck.

For the very first time in her whole life, Spencer uttered a set of words that stopped him cold: "but I don't want to…"

Whirling back around to face her, Toby's eyebrows arched in shock. "You, Spencer J. Hastings, do not want to go to class? I thought school was like your playground or something!"

With a devilish smirk, Spencer admitted, "I found a playground I like more."

He felt a heat climbing in his cheeks. Inching up to him, Spencer skimmed her unoccupied hand through his sandy brown hair, tugging gently on the soft spikes. She was killing him slowly, he was sure of it.

"Spen-cer…" the way he dragged the syllables of her name into a low exhale made her a little lightheaded.

"Yes, my love?" her tone was seductively teasing as she trailed her nails along his scalp, slanting down to trace the sharp lines of his jaw.

Clearing his throat and sidestepping the heady influence of her touch, Toby sought her eyes with his. Beyond the playful mischief, there was a strain in her toffee irises. She wasn't fooling anyone; the underlying dread at their separation was evident in the creasing of her brow and her vague disinterest in class. A physical pang sounded in his soul. This wasn't exactly easy for him either.

Moving closer once more, Toby let his lips linger on the shell of her ear. "I'm on to your game, Hastings. I have a surprise for you in the truck, but you have to cooperate to get it."

"A surprise? I can be good, I promise!" His bribe was instantly rewarded with a wide-eyed grin and a peck on the cheek.

Smiling in return, Toby wound his arm around Spencer's waist and guided her toward the curb. "Just a warning, it's nothing fancy, okay? It's a little reminder of us, even when we're apart." With that, he swung open the passenger door to reveal a simple brown paper bag with a small yellow bow perched on her seat.

Her eagerness was tangible; she was nearly bouncing out of her skin in anticipation, amusing Toby with her childlike antics. "May I?" he asked, offering to hold her coffee.

She muttered her thanks as she handed the steaming cup off into his capable hands, reaching for the package without hesitation. Leaning her back against the truck's exterior, Spencer hastily dug through the bag, fishing around until her fingers brushed against something unfamiliar.

Her sharp intake of breath was followed with a long "Tobyyyy," her mocha eyes the size of saucers as she glanced back and forth between the incredible boy in front of her and the intricate work of art in her hand. "Did you make this?!"

He shyly ducked his head, squirming under her intense gaze. The bracelet, fashioned out of braided leather straps and an engraved medallion, had consumed all of his free time in the last week. "Yeah, I've been working on it for a little while. I know it's a little rough, but I've never made any—"

Spencer threw her arms around him with such force that his words were effectively stopped midsentence. "Toby Cavanaugh, this is beautiful and I'm never taking it off! You are so talented!"

She arched her neck just enough to study the detail etched into the shining pendent. Tears gathered in her eyes—he had painstakingly carved their initials into the metal, permanently capturing the love of _T.C & S.H._ "Seriously," she whispered, "I love it so much."

"I love you so much," he returned, brushing a feathery kiss to her temple. She released him from her bear hug and fastened the bracelet around her delicate wrist, beaming with affection at his handiwork.

Her eyes flickered back up to his, memorizing the moment. "Thank you, Toby. For this, for the last few weeks, for everything. I'm going to miss you every second until you come back home to me."

Of this he was sure: Toby had never seen a more beautiful image, his picture-perfect girlfriend pressed against the frame of his truck with adoration glimmering in her expression, her glossy long locks lifted in the gentle breeze. She was absolutely right. This was his home.

Pinning her in the safety of his arms, Toby caught her bottom lip between the two of his, initiating the first of many goodbye kisses. For right now, it was just him, her, the shelter of this truck, rays of sunshine, and nothing else.

Both knew all too well that misty shadows still lurked, edging the brightness of day with the dimness of night. But those secrets had no bearing on the lasting vitality of this love. Because when her chocolate eyes locked in on the promises behind his azure gaze, an unfathomable understanding formed. No distance or devastation could alter this heart bursting feeling that tied them together, forever linked.

And they intended to keep it that way.


End file.
